The following identifies areas that will be important for patients to follow after weight loss surgery. Diet Going Back to Work Birth Control & Pregnancy Long-Term Follow-Up Support Groups Diet Learn about the diet after Lap-Band Learn about the diet after Laporoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass At The Bariatric Surgery Center, your health and happiness are most important to us. We’ve designed our diet therapy to allow you to achieve your weight loss goals safely, while helping you to make permanent changes for lifelong success. Post surgery dietary guidelines will vary by bariatric surgeon. You may hear about guidelines that differ from the ones you receive. What is most important is that you follow your surgeon and nutritionist’s guidelines only. Our nutritionist will be monitoring you closely, both pre- and post-operatively, to be sure all your nutrition needs are addressed. You will receive meal plans, vitamin and protein supplement recommendations, shopping lists, hydration guidelines and more. You’ll even get plenty of product samples, such as protein powders and unique foods, to “try before you buy!” The most important rules of your diet therapy, with either procedure, are: Eat only 3 small meals a day Eat very slowly, with thorough chewing Drink plenty of liquids, but between meals only (low calorie or high protein) Don’t drink ½ hour before meals or ½ hour after meals No snacks between meals Avoid caffeine, sugary foods and drinks, carbonated beverages and alcohol Throughout your weight loss journey, our nutritionist will continuously guide you to ensure the nutritional adequacy of your diet while you achieve the optimal results you desire. Going Back to Work Your ability to resume pre-surgery levels of activity will vary according to your physical condition, the nature of the activity and the type of weight loss surgery you had. Many patients return to full pre-surgery levels of activity within six weeks of their procedure. Patients who have had a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure may be able to return to these activities within a few weeks. Birth Control & Pregnancy It is strongly advised that women of childbearing age use the most effective forms of birth control during the first 16 to 24 months after weight loss surgery. The added demands pregnancy places on your body and the potential for fetal damage make this a most important requirement. Long-Term Follow-Up Although the short-term effects of weight loss surgery are well understood, there are still questions to be answered about the long-term effects on nutrition and body systems. Nutritional deficiencies that occur over the course of many years will need to be studied. Over time, you will need periodic checks for anemia (low red blood cell count) and Vitamin B12, folate and iron levels. Follow-up tests will initially be conducted every three to six months or as needed, and then every one to two years. Support Groups The widespread use of support groups has provided weight loss surgery patients an excellent opportunity to discuss their various personal and professional issues. Most learn, for example, that weight loss surgery will not immediately resolve existing emotional issues or heal the years of damage that morbid obesity might have inflicted on their emotional well-being. Most surgeons have support groups in place to assist you with short-term and long-term questions and needs. Most bariatric surgeons who frequently perform weight loss surgery will tell you that ongoing post-surgical support helps produce the greatest level of success for their patients.